A Republican group formed to help the passage of civil unions is raising money on behalf of a state senator under attack for her support of the issue.

“The ugliness has begun,” Coloradans for Freedom said in a fundraising appeal sent Friday. “Radical out-of-state groups have started pouring money into Colorado to attack Republican Sen. Jean White, all because of her support for civil unions.

“With her tough primary election just weeks away, a fringe group based in Washington, D.C. launched its first salvo against White in their attempt to make this election all about civil unions.”

The Colorado Springs Republican wasn’t feeling well yesterday so a colleague insisted he see a doctor and actually drove him there, Speaker Frank McNulty said. It turns out Barker had suffered a stroke.

Kasey Mullins raises a flag of a rally in support of the civil-unions bill at the state Capitol in Denver in March 2011.

Coloradans, who voted against “domestic partnerships” for same-sex couples in 2006, now overwhelmingly favor a bill in the legislature that would establish gay civil unions.

In fact, a poll from Public Policy Polling says, a majority would even legalize gay marriage.

The polling firm released results today that show 62 percent of Colorado voters favor legislation to allow civil unions to only 32 percent against. Senate Bill 2, sponsored by Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver, would do that and awaits full consideration by the Democratic-controlled Senate, where a similar bill passed last year but then died in the Republican-led House.

Colorado’s largest gay-rights group made a big splash today with its announcement that Ken Buck’s former campaign manager supports civil unions, but anyone who knows John Swartout isn’t surprised.

Swartout has never been a social issues-Republican and is so well versed in land and environmental issues one of his biggest fans is Susan Daggett, the wife of U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, the Democrat who defeated Buck in the 2010 Senate race after Buck had a social-issues meltdown in October.

I had called him because of comparisons between what then presidential candidate Rick Perry wrote in his 2008 book “On my Honor,” and what Buck said on “Meet the Press.” Both brought up drinking when talking about whether being gay is a choice.

Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, reads to his daughter, Bremma, on the floor of the House before opening day of this year' s session.

Speaker Pro Tem Kevin Priola says he believes the GOP House caucus is divided “one third, one third, one third” when it comes to civil unions.

That means a third for, a third against and a third unsure, said Priola, a Henderson Republican, who has publicly supported civil unions. He said just as education reform has split Democrats, civil unions and gay marriage is an issue that splits Republicans.

The Colorado Catholic Conference on Sunday handed out letters to parishioners urging them to take a stand against civil unions.

The Colorado Catholic Conference has enlisted parishioners to help fight a bill that would allow same-sex couples to form civil unions.

The group distributed fliers at at least one church on Sunday, in Littleton. The parishioner who received it said they were handed out in the foyer as people were leaving Mass.

One side of the flier features a traditional couple at the alter, the other is a form for lawmakers to tell them why the bill should be defeated. The parishioner said a box was available for people to drop their forms in after filling them out, while others took the form with them.

“The key flaw with civil unions legislation is that it creates an alternative parallel structure to marriage,” according to the Colorado Catholic Conference.

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.